Technology Is Complex. But Your Technology Strategy Shouldn't Be.

The 1s and 0s of software are complex.

Quantum computing is only fully understood by a handful of people on earth.

And as much as LLMs are "open source"? They are literally rocket science.

In other words...

Technology is complicated.

But our strategy around it shouldn't feel this way.

While the science of our tech tools may require deep expertise to understand...

The business outcomes we seek by leveraging them should be crystal clear for everyone on our team. For our clients. For our vendors.

Recent studies by Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey found that 70% of digital transformation efforts fail—not because of technology, but due to lack of clarity and execution.

In other words, it's not enough to have powerful tools at our disposal.

We need a clear vision for how we intend to use them to differentiate ourselves from our competition.

Here’s how to build a simpler tech strategy:

1) List Out Your Key Business Goals for 2025

If you haven’t already done this...

Now is the time.

Are you aiming to scale? Improve margins? Increase customer retention?

Clear business objectives serve as the foundation for every technology decision we make.

For example, another McKinsey study found that businesses with clear strategic goals aligned to digital transformation are 1.5x more likely to outperform competitors.

2) Define the Key Capabilities and Actions Required to Hit These Goals

Your success in 2025 will depend on people and processes—not just tech.

Where do we need better collaboration? More automation? Faster decision-making?

Most business problems are human performance problems first.

According to a Harvard Business Review study, companies that optimize human collaboration through technology see up to a 20% increase in productivity.

A great example is Slack’s implementation at IBM, which helped reduce internal emails by 30% and accelerated project turnaround times.

Define these needs clearly—before introducing technology solutions.

3) Look at How Technology Can Support These Needs

Only once you've completed Steps 1 and 2 should you evaluate your tech stack.

Where is it already helping?

Where does it need improvement?

Too many businesses buy software first...

And then figure out how to use it.

Flip that around.

Start with the business need. Then find the right tech to fit it.

For instance, Salesforce reports that 57% of sales reps fail to meet their quotas, but teams using AI-driven CRM tools see a 15% boost in sales productivity.

Another example? Automation in finance. AI-driven bookkeeping platforms have reduced manual data entry time by over 40% for mid-sized businesses.

4) Protect Your Cybersecurity Downside

If you get hacked...

Everything else becomes harder.

A single breach can cost customers, cash flow, and credibility.

Cybercrime is expected to cost businesses over $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.

And a study by IBM found that the average cost of a data breach is $4.45 million.

Investing in cybersecurity isn’t just about compliance—it’s about protecting our ability to execute on every other goal.

If we've got great tech and a great strategy, but lack a robust defense plan...

We're at serious risk for failing to execute on our vision.

In Conclusion

Technology is complex.

But a technology plan shouldn’t be.

Use a simple framework like this to stay focused.

And save the complicated thinking for your actual technology execution.

(Which, of course, we can help with at Reboot, Inc. )